EP 05: Chyna Russell | New York Glam, Beauty & Boss Moves

Fashion, beauty, ambition, and influence. 
ZellSWAG sits down with the Founder of Dollhouse Cosmetics, Chyna Russell for a conversation on glam, purpose, and building impact in the beauty space.  

#fashionverdictwithzellswag  #beauty   #glam  #cosmetics 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Welcome back to Fashion Burdock with Zell Squag, where fashion gets praised, roasted, analyzed, and occasionally dragged through the courtroom. Now this week, baby, we talk in New York City. Excuse me, I gotta work on my vocals, but y'all get the point. Before Instagram sellers, before everybody started calling themselves fashion girlies, there was New York. The city that gave us fashion, streetwear, editorial beauty, hip-hop luxury, supermodels, fashion week, and glam that look expensive even when your rip was do. Baby, New York didn't just influence fashion. New York is fashion. From Harlem to Brooklyn to Soho to the Bronx. Tonight, we're talking about the city that helped shape how all of us dress. Let's get into it. This week's hot take. New York made fashion mean something. New York's fashion wasn't about screaming labels. It was about attitude. It was about confidence. It looked expensive even when your account said something else. Rokie. See now everybody dressing for Instagram. Oversized shades, oversized blazers, oversized this, oversized that. Pinterest move boards. But who are you in the outfit? We wanna know. Who are you? You and you. Who are you in that outfit? Back in the day, baby, New Yorkers dress for real life. For work, for the subway, for setting outside and weather that don't give a fuck about your lace fit. Because one thing a New Yorker's gonna do is put on all black and somehow make it look like it was a $20,000 life decision. Easy to eat! I tell y'all every time, stop making that motherfucking alarm so motherfucking loud. God damn, y'all almost knocked my motherfucking hairline off. Y'all know what that sound means. It means it's designer on trap. This week, we're putting Gucci on trial. Let's go ahead and get into it. One thing Gucci gonna do is have us in a toco for years. Then suddenly start dressing people like a rich grandma at an art fair. Some of the charges against Gucci is did Gucci lose its identity? Oh, Gucci? Oh baby, you had to be there to be there. Because Tom Ford, Tom Ford Gucci? Sexy, dangerous, luxury. Everybody wanted Gucci. Then came the Gucci belt era. If you had a Gucci belt in 2017, baby, you thought you made it. But lately, who exactly is Gucci? Because sometimes it feels luxury and sometimes it feels like vintage, something that's supposed to be an addict. Is Gucci still that girl? Gucci used to feel untouchable, but now some of the girls done moved on. Baby, the fashion girls are cheating on Gucci. Gucci used to have big celebrity info. Used to see some of the baddest top supermodels walk Gucci. Some of the top celebrities do Gucci campaigns. We can't forget about all the Gucci logos, how big the Gucci logo is. Gucci is the main brand that really makes you think of that logo, that jeez, those, that green, that red, like they really came up off of just that logo. Gucci just felt like an elite brand. It just felt like a brand that, like, oh, you got Gucci. Like, especially come from a black household, you got Gucci? Okay. Has Gucci lost his exclusivity? Gucci influence on the black culture. Let's get into it. Did somebody say Daperdan? The iconic moment when Gucci stole Daperdan's designs and had it walking down the runway like it was theirs? Then they had to come back and honor him, and now he's a part of Gucci. You can go to Dapper Dan and get Gucci now. The famous Dapper Dan, Harlem Dapper Dan from back in the days that used to make stuff for LL Cool J, all the iconic rappers, trappers, athletes, name them, he dressed them. He customized personal pieces from Gucci saw that and had a sealed swag. Y'all know they do that to us all design. And y'all know one thing black coach is gonna do, we're gonna take luxury and make it better. So be honest, are we buying Gucci because it's good, or are we buying Gucci because we wanna look expensive? Because some of the Gucci pieces ain't and some of them look like a bedazzle confusion. So, should Gucci be on trial, or we should just let them fly like the butterflies that they post on their shirts? Moving on, culture checks, culture checks, culture checks, culture checks, culture checks, culture. Now, before we start acting like fashion came from TikTok, let's talk about some of the black pioneers that built New York's fashion and glam. Because, baby, a lot of what y'all call fashion today started with these black creators. Let's get into some of them. We got Dapper Dan, the Harlem luxury architect. Before Luxury Brand started respecting hip hop, Dapper Dan was mentioning Gucci with some Fendi and some Louie for the culture in Harlem. Baby, he made luxury cool before luxury even wanted us. When I say us, I mean us. Let's get into Stefan Barros, runway pioneer, one of the first black designers to truly break into luxury fashion. Studio 54, Disco Glam, the movement. Baby, the clothes had energy. Let's talk Bethon Hartsen, the model who changed fashion. Bet Fan fought for black models when fashion was acting blind, like they couldn't see our black asses. Baby, diversity did not happen by accident. Let's talk Andre Leontalli, the voice of fashion. Baby, Andre Leontalli, cake wearing, luxury loving, fashion reading. Before Instagram opinions, Andre Leonatali was the opinion. And that's why New York matters. It wasn't just clothes, it's culture, it's survival. It was black people making luxury look good before luxury respected us. And that's our culture check. All right, y'all. This next part I am super, super excited for. Y'all know this episode we've been talking about New York and its influence on fashion and glam. You know how to bring somebody from New York that knows a lot about influence, glam, makeup, all of that. Anything that comes to glam, this girl knows. She's been doing it for years. She probably taught you and your mama how to do it. Welcome in, China.

SPEAKER_02 7:07

Hey, China. Babe, I'm so happy to be here.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

Thank you. I thank you for coming.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

Come on. It's for you.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

I need that New York energy.

SPEAKER_02 7:14

Listen, once you said New York, I I come on, Al. Like, it is, I don't want to say the Queen of New York, but you can give that. Top. It's top, top, top. Top dog.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

One of them ones. Yeah, one of the first ones.

SPEAKER_02 7:25

Let's be clear.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

They don't be knowing that.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

Let's be clear.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

But this, you here now, we gotta get into that and let people know, like, where you started and how all of that was.

SPEAKER_02 7:33

Some of their first experiences with makeup was with us. I mean, let's just be honest.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

It was.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

It was. 20 something years ago.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

100%. I agree. I agree. Like makeup, I don't think people understand the importance of just like that and glam. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, and just like how far, like just us as black people, we done pushed it. Like, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_03 7:54

For sure.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

So, but I would love just to hear how you started. Like, how did you start? Because now you like big dog, you doing speaking. Like, when I tell y'all this, this she is a motivational speaker. She would speak you to you to speak your life into you.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

Come on now.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

So, like, she did, but she started, you know, we all started from somewhere, and I just love to hear like where you started from.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

You know what's so funny? I feel like my passion introduced me to my purpose. Passion was my makeup, and then purpose was speaking to people.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 8:24

Uplifting my people specifically. Because not only am I a motivational speaker, but it's more about my people.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:30

I'm always wanting to uplift them and empower them in any type of way.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:33

Um, so starting my career, I was like 10 years old and knew I wanted to be a makeup artist. Literally. Because beauty, like, I loved art. And I will watch fashion shows. Like, um, you know, like uh when it would be like uh rip the runway and all those type of things.

SPEAKER_00 8:47

I always focus.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

I know you probably was focused on the clothes, but I was always focused on the glam.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

That stood out to me. So I started to do makeup for like my friends and my family and then my teachers, and that started to blossom. But then I was like, yeah, I'm gonna own something. I'm gonna open up a store. And all my friends would be like, I can't like, what are you talking about? You know? And I'm like, I'm gonna open a store, I'm gonna have my own makeup line, I'm gonna call it dollhouse. Because everybody relates to, as a woman, is dolls. And everybody would say always like a doll, right?

SPEAKER_01 9:14

You do, you do.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

Do I?

SPEAKER_01 9:16

Yes, I changed a doll.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

So um, that's how dollhouse was birthed, and I was in a girl group.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:22

I used to promote parties.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Like a girl group, like uh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:25

Paris, Paris is in a girl group with us. We won't we were called the Pri Madonna. So that was a good one. I heard of that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:30

The Pri Madonna, yes. Yes, I heard of that like a group like like a like a group.

SPEAKER_02 9:35

We were popping in New York. If you was in nightlife, we were popping, we would have all these dope parties. I was in that group with them, but I'm a leader, so I had to branch off and do my own thing. So I started the dolls.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:45

I had my own little girl group, and we started promoting parties and stuff like that. And Prima Madonna's was like my start.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

Right.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

But I had to, you know, always been a boss. Right. Right? So um I started the dolls, and that's how dollhouse even came about too, because it was like, I'm gonna have my dolls, but then we're gonna have a dollhouse for them to come and get prepared and get prepared.

SPEAKER_01 10:03

Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

Because every group I was in, I made them better because I put them on to makeup first. Right.

SPEAKER_01 10:07

Like Yeah, I heard that. Perry said that dollhouse was like one of the first like black like beauty bars. It was.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

So let me tell you, when I literally did my LC, come on, quote me on this, this is some real tea. I'll never forget I was on my LC and the they they didn't understand what to call me because I didn't want to be called a salon. I was like, I'm not a salon, I'm a beauty bar. They didn't understand that. So I was one of the first people to call a beauty bar a beauty bar. It's just I didn't patent the name.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

Right.

SPEAKER_02 10:33

And then after that, maybe five, six years later, I seen everybody start calling it. And you gotta remember, I started my b brand off Instagram. A lot of people created their brands, no disrespect. And I and shout out to them because at the end of the day, I want to see business, us do business, period. But a lot of people started their businesses on social media. Right. I was already in business before I came on social media, you know.

SPEAKER_01 10:53

Do you feel like Instagram or social media like had like a good or bad effect on like just like the beauty industry?

SPEAKER_02 11:00

I think it was good and bad. Um, I like the fact that we're able to touch more people. Um that was the difference that caliped my career, was that if I was in Alabama, if before having a um a storefront, a brick and motor, I can't get to somebody in Alabama. So being online transitioned to me to be more worldly, right? More globally. Um what I do think is it has become even though there's a corner store in every block, I feel like everybody can make money because if you think about it, if you look in our neighborhoods, there's a corner store, there's a laundromat, there's a liquor store, and they're all still successful. So we need to understand that we can be in the same industries and still be successful, but I also think that they have taken the quality out of things. Because people are just throwing their name on stuff and not putting a real quality in it, and this is what I really live and do. So, like my beauty, my cosmetic brand is not just a hustle, it's a way of life. It was to solve a problem, it was to bring uh beauty to women of color that wasn't being seen, you know.

SPEAKER_01 11:53

Right, and I think that and I think another thing just with the social media thing, I think that it made people start being creative too.

SPEAKER_02 12:00

Oh my god, yeah. I I agree.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

So back to the dollhouse.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

So um, so okay, so so so you say you um when um when was when did y'all open up the doors? Like when was the first open the grand opening door?

SPEAKER_02 12:12

The first location we opened was in 2010.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 12:16

That was our first location, but the dollhouse was created in 2006.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

That's definitely way. I didn't have an Instagram to 2012-13.

SPEAKER_02 12:24

So that's like and um I used to have glam days, I used to have these beauty events without without Instagram. There was no Instagram then. It was like growing mouth.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

So how did yeah, so how did you like grow the mouth.

SPEAKER_02 12:34

I used to do makeup.

SPEAKER_01 12:34

Farry said it used to be packed. Ferris said it used to be like so I'm like lines. How did people even know?

SPEAKER_02 12:41

I think you know what it is too? I didn't realize that my gift was also bringing the people in because not only was I just doing makeup and I was the hottest one out here, because at the end of the day, we people, people, the stuff that people doing now, we did it. I did it 20 years ago. Right. Like I made brows popping. Right. Like I had used to have this logo, this shirt that called Don't Never Trust a Bitch with Bad Eyebrows.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

Because eyebrows are really important. And I feel that, don't you?

SPEAKER_02 13:02

And if you literally, I'm not trusting you. If you let them give you a bad brow, like I can't trust you.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

You know, I can't trust you. Because like a brow determines like the whole facial look.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

Yeah, bro. So if you got bad brows. So the men out there, if you got a chick with bad brows, I don't think you should trust them. But um, it was more so what we were giving. Um, I think in that in our community, we didn't have no one to give you luxury. So when you came into Dollhouse, you got a glass of champagne. It was a vibe, there was, there was intimacy, there was conversation, it was healing. You know, exactly, it was experience, it was healing. A lot of women that came there, they were going through their things, and I would pour into them, you know, in beauty and in words and wisdom, you know. So it was it was more of a community-based type of vibe, you know? And I've been through, I w it went through a lot, I went through a lot, I went through a lot. I was there for 10 years, it closed. Um, when I closed down, it was like so scary for me because it was like everything I've ever dreamed of was now closing, but I didn't realize that God was closing something for me to open up more. Right. So that's when I opened up in New Jersey and then opened back up in New York.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

So you opened up another dollhouse in New York. Yeah, in New Jersey. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 14:06

So I went to a whole nother state and ran that.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

Right. Like you like, ran up to Taven, New York. Let's go to Jersey.

SPEAKER_02 14:12

Because they was coming, so what ended up happening, I was see, these Jersey girls was coming to New York.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 14:16

And coming to Brooklyn, and then it was girls from all over the city. Like, Dollhouse became like the staple place. So it was like women from Chicago, when they doing their weekend trips, they would want to stop at the Dollhouse. It was that, it was that big.

SPEAKER_01 14:27

No, I'm not gonna lie. Paris used to tell me, like, no, you don't know how, like, this was like, she was before, like, Paris always had to be. So shout out to Paris.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

Paris always gonna give me my flowers. No, she does. Appreciate that. Because I'm from New York, and sometimes bitches don't want to give you your flowers.

SPEAKER_01 14:39

No, yeah, that's true. Yeah, yeah, you can say whatever you want to. Bitch ho, slut.

SPEAKER_02 14:43

Yeah. So New York, so New York, uh, I'm from Brooklyn.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Right.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

I'm a Brooklyn girl. Let's be very clear.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

And that's it, and a Brooklyn girl is different from any New York girl. I'm just gonna say that.

SPEAKER_02 14:53

But I'm just trying to tell people because I think people be getting it twisted. Right. They don't know. I'm from Brooklyn. Yeah. I'm from East New York, brooklyn. Okay, from I'm from the hood.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

Yeah, the hood.

SPEAKER_02 15:01

And I and I love that because it gave me so much character. It gave me a different type of hustle, you know, and I and I and I love where I'm from.

SPEAKER_01 15:08

Right. So how do you just feel like glam like from that, from dollhouse? Just like, how did I just catapult you to like where you are now?

SPEAKER_02 15:16

Yeah, well, uh, so for me, it was like a it always been to build legacy and wealth for my family. I have a little sister. My little sister stopped her dreams and came into my business because at the time I was hiring these women, they were stealing from me. It was just so much stuff going on. So my mom and my sister really helped me become who I who I am because if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be able to do what I've done because I was a mom. So, you know, I got two kids. So for me to be able to run my business and and build my empire, it was hard.

SPEAKER_01 15:42

Your kids about to be grown.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

My kids are grown.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

I don't want to be saying like, oh, your daughter graduated?

SPEAKER_02 15:46

My daughter's 16. Oh, yeah. She just turned 16. My son, my son is 23.

SPEAKER_01 15:50

Yeah, he did, he graduated. But I'm thinking about your daughter. I'm like, Yeah, my daughter's gonna be good.

SPEAKER_02 15:53

She's going to 11th grade. She'll be going home.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

Oh my God, that is so cool.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

So I'm just out here hot and hot as hell.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

Yeah, looking good as fuck.

SPEAKER_02 15:59

Looking good, right?

SPEAKER_01 16:00

You and the A now. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 16:02

Running their shit. No, but having a good time.

SPEAKER_00 16:06

Right.

SPEAKER_02 16:06

You know, living life. But um, it always about building wealth for my family. And and I'm finally made my mom and my sister a boss. I got tired of them just celebrating me. It wasn't just about me. Right. And a real boss and a real leader is gonna help other people become bosses.

SPEAKER_01 16:18

Bosses want everybody to be bosses around.

SPEAKER_02 16:20

Absolutely. Absolutely. So we opened up, just opened up a nail salon.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

Oh, yeah, that's what's up. How do you feel about my nails?

SPEAKER_02 16:26

These are T.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

Yeah, these little 3D.

SPEAKER_02 16:28

We need to take care of you. Okay, yeah, come on. I'm coming.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

I'm coming.

SPEAKER_00 16:31

You know, I'm coming.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

But um, and I'm in the middle of a big project that I don't want to I don't want to say what it is, but um, something that's life-changing. Oh, yeah. Something that God put to me.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

I'm gonna give you congratulations already. Uh it's the next level. Right.

SPEAKER_02 16:43

I'm going into another industry, and I feel like I'm gonna change the name again. And I had to remind myself that this is something new that I'm doing, and I went, I'm going back through the birthing of it.

SPEAKER_00 16:53

Right.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

Because I because I've been doing this for 20 something years now. So it's like I kind of forget those humble beginnings of that reality. Oh, I know, girl.

SPEAKER_01 17:02

Welcome to the fashion verdict. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:04

Right? But that's that's why I feel like this made so much sense because I feel like there's no fashion without beauty.

SPEAKER_01 17:09

Right. 100%.

SPEAKER_02 17:10

And these and these women, so the women out there that think y'all bad bitches, you can't be a bad bitch and got no concealer on. Right. And you got bracing on the back.

SPEAKER_01 17:16

If you got on a fly ass outfit and your makeup, go back home.

SPEAKER_02 17:21

No. Your makeup gotta be T.

SPEAKER_01 17:23

You gotta be T because I want to see every it's an art. It's an art. It's an art piece. Like it's it's everything counts.

SPEAKER_02 17:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

From hair, the makeup, and the fit, everything counts when it comes to the attitude.

SPEAKER_02 17:35

Absolutely. Absolutely. Everything counts.

SPEAKER_01 17:36

Everything is a part of outfit to me. Absolutely. Um, what makes New York Glound different from like anywhere else in the world, you feel?

SPEAKER_02 17:44

New York is the trendsetters. I feel like New York is, we come from it's so much different styles, and like it's such a busy place. Like, New York is where everything begins.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

I feel like that.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

And I think sometimes people be acting like they forgot that.

SPEAKER_01 17:58

I think people do.

SPEAKER_02 17:59

Like, are they crazy?

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Like, I feel like this whole thing, I'm gonna ask you this, how you feel about this? Because this is a whole thing that's going around because now you in Atlanta, about like the whole street wear thing, like what's better, New York streetwear or like Atlanta streetwear.

SPEAKER_02 18:11

I know they not wait, no disrespect. I love my Atlanta girls, I love my Atlanta people. You know, I love y'all. But there's no way that y'all gonna sit here and even have that conversation and make it seem like I can't believe that. Atlanta people, they know that they have looked at us for years and wanted to mimic and emulate our staff. All the time. Like, let's just let's just be very clear. And this is no shade, but it's just the truth. It is. New York just has a different influence. Influence. Like, now what I will say is that what Atlanta, what Southern, or what Atlanta, these women here have, is that maybe they just want more out of life sometimes, and us New York chicks, they're wearing about the clothes.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:46

But one thing about a New York chick is.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

She's gonna put that channel on. She's gonna put that shit on, no matter what that cow say.

SPEAKER_02 18:57

It's some fly ass chicks in New York. I don't even consider myself, I'm gonna be honest with you. Fly, now we have different versions of fly. Right. There's a fly in your look, and then there's fly in your life. Life. Now my life is fine. Life is fly, yes. Like a bitch getting done. I'm a boss bitch, been a boss bitch 20 something years.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

I do fly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 19:12

But when it comes to like, I'm gonna put my shit on too. I got some shit. No, yeah, you don't. But it's some chicken in New York.

SPEAKER_01 19:17

That's really fashion architects. Like they. I'm gonna find them on Instagram, we're gonna bring them up.

SPEAKER_02 19:27

Um, eBeauty, flyer shit. Um, Chinee, flyer shit. Okay. Cherine, flyer shit. Okay. Pippy, flyer shit. Okay. You know what I'm saying? It's a few. I'm gonna look these people up. I'm talking about fly down to the sock.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

Right.

SPEAKER_02 19:41

You know?

SPEAKER_01 19:42

That's what New York gives me.

SPEAKER_02 19:43

P PT, Toya, fly, fly.

SPEAKER_01 19:47

Yes, you got it.

SPEAKER_02 19:48

Dice pineapples, they fly. These bitches is fly. These bitches. They can't fly. I'm talking about Richie's all kind of shit.

SPEAKER_01 19:54

Right. You know? Yeah, like watches to match the outfit. Yeah. They ain't fucking with New York. With the mood, the watches match the outfit.

SPEAKER_02 19:59

They're not fucking with New York. I'm sorry. I'm gonna be honest. I have to I have to give credit where it's still.

SPEAKER_01 20:02

Yeah, I don't, I don't think that, I don't think that it's like no, it's like, what are y'all even shopping?

SPEAKER_02 20:07

Yeah, no, for real. And my cousin's one of the flyers too, Ema. Even though she don't got she now on social media like that, my cousin's big time fly. And it's some fly, it's some New York so fly. You got fly bitches that might even go on the ground.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

They don't understand that. Like a lot, I feel like a lot of people here in Atlanta do do it for the ground. Yes! It's all done for it.

SPEAKER_02 20:26

They don't want to put it on the ground.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

It's New York bitches that's been doing it since they was two years old. Yes! Like parents be showing me pictures of her, like we're a goose.

SPEAKER_02 20:33

Let me tell you something. Two years old, I was wearing long trench leather jackets to my ankles.

SPEAKER_01 20:37

Trouble.

SPEAKER_02 20:38

Like, that's what we've been doing.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

You feel what I'm saying? That's so different between the water.

SPEAKER_02 20:42

Wait, no sweatsuits, like killing it. Revops, low cops, surely temple curls. Right. You feel me? Like, we've been doing this shit.

SPEAKER_01 20:50

Some things that you you would see a New York, this could be with glam art fashion. You would see a New York, uh, uh, uh, Atlanta girl do that a uh New York girl would be like, fuck no.

SPEAKER_02 21:02

Yeah, no, okay, so I feel like a land, I feel like Atlanta girls, they are very, very dramatic. Um, I feel like New York girls, we with the beats and stuff like that, but we ain't so dramatic in the in that in that area. We more raw and uncut. Like bitches be bad.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

Right. Like, you know what I'm saying? I feel like with New York girls, they do be like um, I think Atlanta's thing is because they it's the land of the gay. Yeah. So I think they I think it's so much uh they want that drama. Yeah. Like New York is like, bitch, I don't even got time to do all that. Listen, I might, I'm only gonna put dab a little under my eyes, and we out of this bitch.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

Atlanta, I hear I noticed too, like far as when it comes to makeup artists, I feel like they do really well in Atlanta too, because Atlanta, they just always wanna be so glammed. And I feel like New York girls sometimes they they into the glam too, but they really be about the whole look. Like them, they they they they like, yeah, I'll put a little lip gloss on, do my little rap, and keep it moving. Yeah, they want to build a place for it. This, this, that. Like, you know, it's just a little different.

SPEAKER_01 22:03

What do you think the biggest like beauty mistake that women is doing right now?

SPEAKER_02 22:07

The biggest beauty mistake, oh my goodness, let me think. I feel like the biggest beauty mistake is the over aesthetic with the fillers.

SPEAKER_01 22:15

Oh yes.

SPEAKER_02 22:16

Oh my goodness. The fillers, like And I feel like it is worse here.

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

I feel like New York is not, they're not doing that like that. They got it, but they're not.

SPEAKER_01 22:24

Atlanta is out of control. It is worse than LA.

SPEAKER_02 22:27

It is out of control. And you gotta remember something. So as a makeup artist, I've been a makeup artist for 20-something years. You are putting, you're filling your lips up, you're filling your cheeks up, and then you're putting makeup on top of that. That already is enhancing, and then you already have so much enhancement. To me, it's giving off not realistic. It's looking lioness.

SPEAKER_01 22:43

Right. It be looking like, it be looking AI-ish sometimes. And then you get them on Instagram, then they clear their girls on my um on the show that I was on Love and Hip Hop, you know, that they call the typeface crew, like Sierra and Carly Red. Because those lips, those those cheeks, I was like, Wait, first of all, they get bigger every season.

SPEAKER_02 23:05

Shout out to Sierra, I love Sierra. That's my Gemini sister. I love Sierra, I love CC. That's my sister. Yeah, but I do think that I have not done anything. Right? Good. And I want Zell. I literally wanted to. I literally was.

SPEAKER_01 23:17

Well, what would you do?

SPEAKER_02 23:18

But this is the thing. When I go into this many spas and I try to tell them I want something, and they do the consultation, they say, I'm gonna be honest with you, you don't need anything. And if I was you, I wouldn't touch nothing yet. So it's like, okay, fine.

SPEAKER_01 23:28

I've done done a little Botox in my head before just. Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that. This is because I just wanted something to do.

SPEAKER_02 23:33

But you have really good features too. Thank you. I appreciate it. Really good features. Your eye shape, your cheekbones, everything. Your skin is really good. Like, you have good, good, good features. So when you got good features like that, you don't gotta do all that shit. Right. You know? So it's Right.

SPEAKER_01 23:45

I just wanted to do it just to see what it was like. I was like, You couldn't move. Yeah, but I can say I look my skin looked good though. I ain't gonna lie, but it was just I was just like, but what is some what are some of the hardest things that that like start and starting your business, starting the dollhouse, or just starting like your new, your new adventure that you getting into.

SPEAKER_02 24:09

The hardest thing is getting over other people's fears. Because I think when I first wanted to open up my first dollhouse, it was so many people was thinking, like, I don't understand, I don't get the concept, you're gonna just do makeup, it doesn't make sense. And it was like, yeah, it does make sense because I'm bringing an I'm making beauty a necessity. And that's what I want to, that's what I bring to the industry, was bringing it as a necessity that you want to get up and you want to be able to have time to be beautified. And I think in any industry that you go into, sometimes people put their fears on parnou. And it was also me understanding business. Because when I first started, I didn't have like being a black woman and being a black woman from the hood and want to open up a business, you don't have those people around you that understand business.

SPEAKER_03 24:49

Right.

SPEAKER_02 24:49

So it's like trial and error. You know, I always tell people my first location was um blessings and lessons. A lot of blessings because I'm covered by God, but then a lot of lessons to t to get me where I'm at now. Right. So now I know the difference between liability insurance and business insurance and how to like perfect my craft and knowing how to protect my business too. So I think a lot of people make money but don't know how to protect and save and keep your money. Right. Because that's the thing. Like every million dollars you make is a $400,000 of tax ta taxes attached to it. Unless you know how to write off and have proper things in place.

SPEAKER_01 25:19

So you gotta have you gotta have somebody, if you don't know, you gotta have somebody.

SPEAKER_02 25:24

Around you, and then even with that, making sure that you still learn some things because people they take advantage of vulnerability. Yeah, yeah. And when they know it's just taking it away from you. Exactly. And we ain't got no money to be letting be just slip away.

SPEAKER_01 25:36

Right.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

We trying to build a lot of.

SPEAKER_01 25:37

Oh, I'm on every die.

SPEAKER_02 25:39

Yes. And and like I always say, if you don't run your business, your business will run you. So just learning how to be a boss, because I was very um for a long time I was real timid and just scared and just like didn't want to hurt nobody's feelings and stuff like that. But now I just I'm I'm a business woman. I handle my businessman. Like I'm not I'm not playing. So uh yeah, I think it was it was a lot of obstacles, but because I believed and I dreamed and I knew I can do it, it to me, it was everything that happened was supposed to happen to build me to who I am right now.

SPEAKER_01 26:04

What's so, and just saying that, what's one thing that you just learned that the hard way though? Like you know what I'm saying? Like, you know, like you be weak. Some things can just go smooth, like what's one thing that you like you learned the hard way, and you just like, and it's like hurt you. Like, you know, sometimes when you we learn shit and it hurt us, like, oh you know that feeling.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

I would say is hiring is guessing and firing is knowing. The biggest mistake I made in my business is keeping people in my business too long than they were supposed to.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 26:35

And um going into business and thinking that it's personal, having building relationships with people and thinking that they for me, but not realizing they were only for what I was for. So they were only for Dollhouse, but they wasn't for me. So when Dollhouse no longer served them, or when it they felt like they wanted to serve somewhere else, they left me. And I think that the biggest lessons was having contracts in place. Um, I got sued by uh workers' comp before, just not having my payroll together. So all those things were like learning lessons that hurt me to the core because I trusted people. Right. And now I realize in business that you can't, it's not really about trust. It's about having things in black and white and handling our business.

SPEAKER_01 27:17

100% and it's emotionless. I agree. Um I agree with that because like with people, they they gon' they're not gonna want it what you want. Like, you know what I'm saying? So you can't hold them to what you holding yourself to in your own business, your own dream, your own things. So like, and it's just like even just hiring people, that's just a scary thing.

SPEAKER_02 27:38

So hard.

SPEAKER_01 27:39

Like, I'm leaving you here at my store with my cash register, right? And everything I created.

SPEAKER_02 27:45

Your employees make or break your business.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:47

And when you black, you don't get the seniority. You don't get like, you know, like when we go into we see other businesses, other uh businesses, right? People are not speaking about them as a person. They talk about the business and they still patronize it. But with us, as black people, when we have a bad experience at a location where I'm not even present for, I get blamed. Right. Not the employee. Right. So it's very hard because I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_01 28:07

Oh yeah, I don't like going to China to just do it.

SPEAKER_02 28:09

Exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 28:10

Like, what? And I've been I've been through that.

SPEAKER_02 28:11

I went through that so long, and I think God allowed me to go through that so I can understand that people are gonna be upset and you can't please everybody. And I realized something that Apple, we complain about Apple, you got an iPhone, right? We complain about it all the time, and Apple is still number one. Right. So they go to show you that you cannot please everyone, but as long as you do the best that you have to do in that or your eyes, it is what it is. That's the difference between that's the difference between running your business as a black person and running your business as a business.

SPEAKER_00 28:36

Right.

SPEAKER_02 28:36

Stop running your business just as a black person because sometimes you run your business as a black person, you're thinking everything is gonna destroy when really it's just people complaining, and that's what people do. Right. I complain at sacks, I complain like you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 28:47

All the damn time. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 28:48

So you start to realize that it's not personal, but it feels personal because we black and we oppressed and we have feelings.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

And it's ours and it's your baby. So you're gonna feel that. But like once you get out of that, you're holding us all over to you. It's not like, oh girl, we still pushing, I'm still selling, I'm still. Absolutely. Customers still coming in. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 29:05

And I'm gonna be transparent.

SPEAKER_01 29:06

Right.

SPEAKER_02 29:06

We're not perfect and we're every day providing and wanting to provide 100% service. So now in the Nelson line, we go around and we always ask and constantly, what can we do better? What can we do better? What can we do here? We would love your input, we would love your feedback because we want to please you. We are not here to just take, we're here to give as well. You know, it's a supplying to meet and demand. I wish, and I want all black people to understand that is that when you are patronizing black businesses, black brands, black uh services, it is a supply and demand. Right. I have the dem I have the supply and there's the demand. Right. So it's an even is a you know, even streak. So I feel like a lot of times as us, as people of color, we have a hard time with uh with accepting that. Exactly. And the other people, we do it so even easily with it. Right. But then when it comes to us, we having a hard time. So we need to stop that.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

We do. I agree. I definitely agree with that. I see it all the time. Yeah, especially here in Atlanta.

SPEAKER_03 29:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:54

Here in Atlanta is the worst. It's like the worst. Yes, you're gonna see. Okay, you're gonna get to see. This is probably the most professional place that you ever gonna be.

SPEAKER_02 30:04

It is so professional here, guys. I'm really impressed. I'm telling you, I'm so impressed.

SPEAKER_01 30:07

I don't play that ghetto shit. I'll be on camera. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 30:10

We don't like to do things too ghetto now. I don't like it too ghetto. Uh uh, I don't like the ghetto. I don't like it to get it.

SPEAKER_01 30:14

I like to see ghetto. I don't like to do ghetto. No. I like to my visit ghetto. Not either running through the I'm gonna run through the hood.

SPEAKER_03 30:24

I like to run through the hood, yeah. I'm running through the hood.

SPEAKER_01 30:28

But am I gonna stay? No, no. Marinate? No.

SPEAKER_03 30:31

No, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 30:32

Okay, so rapid five questions. So my first question is what's the biggest glam disaster that you've seen in person?

SPEAKER_02 30:38

Ooh. Uh, when they be like, what lace and the lace is right there. Yeah. And also when the foundation doesn't match the complexion. When it's given gray casket and it's giving green. No.

SPEAKER_01 30:48

I hate that. I hate I hate when it's like two different.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

Yeah, it's like, oh, you alive?

SPEAKER_01 30:52

Like, you supposed to be alive.

SPEAKER_02 30:54

Yeah, like uh those are the lace and the wrong foundation components.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

It's like Michael Jackson did say black and white, the perfect combination, but I don't mean I don't think he meant me.

SPEAKER_02 31:02

When the ears are so dark. Like, no, you need get that together. That's terrible.

SPEAKER_01 31:06

Okay, so what's one celebrity style that you secretly love?

SPEAKER_02 31:10

A celebrity style that I secretly love. I love what is uh Diana Ross's daughter, uh Tracy Ellis Ross. Tracy Ellis Ross. I love Tracy Ellis Ross. I love her. She's so fly to me.

SPEAKER_01 31:25

Do you know I DMed her and asked her to be on this show?

SPEAKER_02 31:28

You did? That's how much I love her. And you should DM her every day.

SPEAKER_01 31:31

I will. I do it. You never know. I DM everyone.

SPEAKER_02 31:35

Yes, I do. I feel like she's so fly. I feel like she has her own, she's she's in her own, like her own light. Like I feel like she does what she wants.

SPEAKER_01 31:43

Like, I love her because it's so like she gives like ventus Hollywood, but it gives like bound, it gives like sexy, it gives grown.

SPEAKER_02 31:52

She's my style crush.

SPEAKER_01 31:53

No, yeah. I love, I love her.

SPEAKER_02 31:55

I love the hair, I love the look, I love everything. I love the body, the body's tea. Let's be right clear. Body's T.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

Body band team. Before BBL's, before any of that.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

Okay, the real, the real, exactly. Hippy. Girlfriends, ass, hippie waist, all of that. Beautiful, good skin.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

All of that. She gets it from her mama. Because her mama got the same thing. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 32:12

So she is my she is my style card. She loves her.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

Okay, so what's one celebrity style that you don't get?

SPEAKER_02 32:18

I don't get uh what's uh what's her name? Uh she's a singer, uh Janae.

SPEAKER_01 32:26

Janae, Janelle Monet?

SPEAKER_02 32:28

Yeah. Like I'll be confused sometimes. No, yeah, I think that I feel like it'd be like I feel like sometimes it's like costumey. Yes. And I feel like it's performing.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

Yeah, yeah, yeah. She does. I think that's what she I think that's what she wants to do. Like, you know what I'm saying? I think every outfit is supposed to be something like that. But I did feel like I do feel the same way that you feel like it'd be like, uh, but on the Met Gala, I feel like she hit it right on.

SPEAKER_02 32:51

And I feel like also Gabby O'Union, I feel like I don't know what Gabby O'Union be wearing.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

Oh, yeah, Gabby's gonna be gonna be gonna be gonna be.

SPEAKER_02 32:55

And I love Gabby, but it's like Gabby, what why can't you?

SPEAKER_01 32:57

Her and her man be off. Sometimes I feel like they need to switch office. Yeah, I they need to switch outfits.

SPEAKER_02 33:03

I just be wanting, I be wanting Gab to come through. Right? She's so beautiful, she the brown skinned honey, beautiful. I just don't get it. It just don't.

SPEAKER_01 33:15

It gets delivers from your outfit. Yeah, no, it's not that good.

SPEAKER_02 33:18

It's not that good. It's not I love her, I love you, Gabby.

SPEAKER_01 33:21

So, so have you ever had a client or a friend that you gave advice and they didn't accept it and then now they regretting it?

SPEAKER_02 33:29

Have I ever had a absolutely Paris can tell you they always say, and people in my life always say there's a China, everybody has a China moment. Like China said it. China said it.

SPEAKER_01 33:38

Tell me what.

SPEAKER_02 33:39

Okay, so I always, I'm a vision, I'm I have discernment. I can feel things. God has moments in my life. I literally, I literally can see it, I can tell. And a lot of times when I meet people or when I come in contact with people, I can feel their energy and I can tell what they're here for. And a lot of people cover their their negativity and jokes and opinions, and I can always pick it up. And there there's times I've been friends with people, and I can tell that the person that's around them, they'll act like they don't like me, but really they don't like them. Right. Because they know being my friend, I'm gonna always open the door. Right. I'm gonna always support. And one thing about when you have a good person in your life, it can change your life. Because we all need good people to protect us. So what they'll do is they'll pretend like the the negativity is against me, but it's really against them. Right. And a lot of my friends allow those people to push them away from me. And then that person. Exactly. That person bite the bigger.

SPEAKER_01 34:32

I told you that raggedy ass bitch, one for you. Now you back. And now you coming back one if you need a real.

SPEAKER_02 34:37

Because you know I'm gonna protect your story. But then I tell your ass. And some I let come back, and some I can.

SPEAKER_01 34:43

Right.

SPEAKER_02 34:44

Some I can.

SPEAKER_01 34:45

Okay, so this is the last one. So fashion, you can do this could be fashion or glam. So fashion slash glam girls will be better if they if you just stop copying what everybody else is doing. Oh my God. That's like, that's like the theme on here. That's my big thing because everybody copy everybody. It's no creative people no more.

SPEAKER_02 35:05

Poochie was got lit. Everybody wants to be in the past. Everybody got saying, but it's like, well, god damn, can we just do our own thing?

SPEAKER_01 35:12

Like, right. I feel the same thing.

SPEAKER_02 35:13

Everybody looking like it looks the same. Yeah, it's a same BSL, the same glam, the same outfits.

SPEAKER_01 35:18

I think I just learned about Pinterest, not like maybe like the dispatch.

SPEAKER_02 35:22

Oh, yeah, they definitely pull it on pressure.

SPEAKER_01 35:24

So that's why Oscar keeps saying, like, I get where everybody's getting this shit from. Everybody has a Pinterest mood board. For sure. It's copying and pasting every fucking thing.

SPEAKER_02 35:33

And and another thing, too, I think they want to be, oh my God, everybody wanna be, like, Zel, I don't really care. These women want to be like fashion icons. Like, that's they're fighting for it. I don't know. You can tell in the outfit.

SPEAKER_01 35:42

Guys, too. Don't hey.

SPEAKER_02 35:44

Oh no, the men, the men is the best.

SPEAKER_01 35:45

The man, the men is stepping out there.

SPEAKER_02 35:47

I can't.

SPEAKER_01 35:47

Like, it's like the men is stepping out there, like, I'm starting to like, dang, can I be gay? Right. Let me be gay. Let me be the saddest one. Like, damn. Let me wear my hips out.

SPEAKER_02 36:00

Like, that want to get dressed better than me. We both picking up my pocketbook?

SPEAKER_01 36:03

Now, now look, I'm all for looking nice. Looking nice. But it's like some guys are really that have no idea, and you can just tell that they just like put me in the finest shit. I want to be in the, like, you know what I'm saying? In the list shit. Like, yes, like, you know. I'm gonna say one person's name. I'm just gonna leave it at Stefan Diggs, please. Send some of them looks to me, boo-boo. They for me, not you. But China, I really do appreciate you.

SPEAKER_02 36:29

I'm so happy to be here. I'm so proud of you. This is so tea, and you look good as shit.

SPEAKER_01 36:34

Thank you. This is a little something.

SPEAKER_02 36:35

You know you put that shit on all the time. It'd be giving like you from New York. I ain't gonna lie, you give the bigger. I tell people that all the time.

SPEAKER_01 36:40

I tell them I went to I tell them I'm with the boys and girls from the New York.

SPEAKER_02 36:42

Yeah, you get the you get the passcode. You can be in Paris.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

I'll be like, oh yeah, they'd be like, where are you from? I'm like, I'm from New York. They'd be like, no, you're not. I'm a yesterday. I went to Boys and Girls and everything. Oh, oh, yeah. Yeah, I'll tell them I'm with the Boys and Girls like off of uh Troy Abbott. Yeah, that's Big Brooklyn. Big Brooklyn. No, but I do appreciate you having on here. You've been I you've been doing it for years. I've been watching you for years do it over, and it's just like you never slow down. It's just like you always bring in something new, always something with you. And I just I appreciate you because you pushing so many young black women. Absolutely. I will always uh men, yes, anybody, like you push you, people look up to you. I don't know if people tell you that, but people really look at you like a boss. You got your I know your kids do like you you just like that girl. You always have been you and you give that energy, and I and I and I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 37:31

We need more time and I appreciate you loving on me all the time.

SPEAKER_01 37:34

No, yeah, I'm always. Okay, man. Okay, we here now. We love it now. We gotta turn these Atlanta streets up because you don't want me out like that. Like I'm trying to go. Can we go on the street? Yes, yes, we're going now. Yes. But thank you. I love you. Yes, yes. Here's my final verdict. New York didn't just influence fashion. Baby, New York filled the fashion culture. From Harlem to fashion week to hip hop to glam. The city taught us confidence. And one thing about a New Yorker, they may be rude, but baby, they're gonna come out dressed. This has been another fashion verdict with Zel Swag, where fashion gets praised, roasted, analyzed, and occasionally dragged through the courtroom. Good night, y'all, and make sure y'all tune in every Friday night at 6 p.m. See y'all.